All posts tagged diversity

Superdiversity – keeping up with the pace of change

by Funchye

For public and private sector organisations a like it has been at a snail’s pace to make the policy and service changes needed to provide new communities with valuable  support.

Over the last decade there has been an unprecedented change in the UK population and the speed, scale, spread and diversity has exceeded anything previously experienced.

Birmingham is already set to be one of Britain’s largest minority-majority city, has seen change in the nature, complexity and distribution of its population as it enters a new age of superdiversity.

But adding to the city’s accolade of being a leader, Birmingham will be host to the first UK institute devoted to research focusing on superdiversity.

Following Birmingham Social Inclusion Process, Giving Hope Changing Lives, it has become clear that the opportunities and challenges associated with Birmingham’s rapidly changing and diverse population have not yet been fully realised.

The Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS) a University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council partnership will be making its official launch in June 2013 at an invitation only event.

by Diamond Glacier Adventures

IRiS will bring researchers, policymakers and practitioners  together to make organisations more agile and responsive to the challenges and opportunities associated Birmingham’s transformation.

Both Birmingham City Council and IRiS will ensure that research in the city and across the world can answer important questions in relation to the connection of migration, faith, language, ethnicity and culture helping to shape the future of  Birmingham and other superdiverse locations while placing IRiS and Birmingham at the forefront of research into superdiversity.

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by sandviper1 on 8th May 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Wellbeing, Young People
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Posted by sandviper1 on 8th May 2013

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/superdiversity-keeping-up-with-the-pace-of-change/

Hands-on Birmingham prepares for the impact of the welfare reform

Birmingham Mapping

Birmingham has not been sitting on its laurels when it comes to protecting those who will be most affected by the new welfare reform act.

As part of Birmingham’s Social Inclusion Process, “Giving Hope, Changing Lives”, a seminar was held in July 2012 for practitioners from a range of agencies to discuss and develop solutions to the welfare reform changes.

Following this, a Welfare Reform Multi-Agency Committee was established, to make is possible for agencies across the city to work together to prepare for the welfare reforms and ensure a co-ordinated approach to support services.

From this an action plan has been developed by the city council and key partners, covering eight workstream:

i) Communications and Multi-Agency Advice
ii) The Impact of the Welfare Reform on Individuals (data)
iii) Case studies
iv) Financial Inclusion
v) Digital Inclusion
vi) Discretionary Social Fund (Local Welfare Provision Policy)
vii) Employment
viii) Co-ordination of Crisis Support

To make sure that a cohesive and targeted response is provided, Birmingham has drawn-up a map drawn-up a map identifying crisis support for people affected across the city, as well has identifying areas that will experience multiple impacts of the welfare reform changes.

Chair of the Welfare Reform Multi-Agency Committee, Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Social Cohesion and Equalities, Cllr John Cotton said: “The city council is working closely with partners from across Birmingham – voluntary organisations, charities, community groups and others at the front line of supporting vulnerable people – to ensure that we have a properly coordinated response to these enormous changes.

“Many families and individuals will be hard hit by these changes. We want to make sure they get the help and support they need.”

The crisis support mapping is one of a number of initiatives carried out by Birmingham’s multi-agency welfare reform committee and identifies a number of organisations offering:

  • Clothing
  • emergency accommodation
  • financial advice
  • financial support
  • food banks
  • housing advice
  • legal advice

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) is one of a number of organisations working closely with the city council and its Vice-Chair and Founder, Mohammed Al-Rahim, feels the co-ordinated approach will prove vital in the coming months.

Al-Rahim, who is also the President and CEO of Selly Oak charity Freshwinds, added: “This is an important opportunity for the voluntary sector to work cooperatively, together with the City Council and the local business community, to provide vital practical support to citizens of Birmingham in these challenging times, proactively sharing knowledge and resources to coordinate a truly effective response for all those experiencing crisis and hardship.

“The network has already achieved some important successes and this will increase as our membership grows in the coming weeks and months and beyond.”

With a can do attitude the Birmingham network has already achieved some important successes, but this can only be truly measured by the number of families that are supported through this difficult time.

Watch this space for updates on our progress …

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by sandviper1 on 18th April 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Wellbeing, Young People
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Posted by sandviper1 on 18th April 2013

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/hands-on-birmingham-prepares-for-the-impact-of-the-welfare-reform/

New Eastside City Park due to open 5th Dec – will it fit the bill?

eastside-city-park-next-to-millennium-point-in-birmingham-735931900

The new Eastside City Park (Photo Birmingham Post)

One outcome from the Social Inclusion Process research was the fact that many residents pointed to the lack of open and green spaces in many areas of the city. They suggested that  we need to develop new approaches to regeneration and development to ensure that neighbourhoods are designed so that more parks and open spaces are included in plans.

This is captured in the Green Paper Commitment four: Connect People and Places, under recommendation 4.3 Develop more open spaces and community assets

So it is therefore a happy coincidence that on Wednesday night  (5th Dec) Sir Albert Bore will formally declare the new £11.75 million Eastside park  open on behalf of Birmingham City Council. Interestingly this is the city’s first new park in 130 years!

final-touches-are-made-to-eastside-city-park-159889887

The new park takes shape (photo Birmingham Post)

The new park stretches from the city centre into Eastside, past Curzon Street Station and on to Millennium Point.

The park provides some 14,300 square metres of landscaped green space, and also includes some 310 trees, formal lawns, public squares and a 188-metre canal feature which incorporates 21 jet fountains.

Splendid though it sounds, how effective will it be in addressing the above Social Inclusion recommendations? Our research revealed that many residents were looking for more local green spaces. We know that many people don’t come into the city centre very often as travel costs, especially bus fares, are an obstacle. So, will this new park fill the stated need for more community space? What do you think?

Have your say:-

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by johnbbrum on 3rd December 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Wellbeing, Young People
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Posted by johnbbrum on 3rd December 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/new-eastside-city-park-due-to-open-5th-dec-will-it-fit-the-bill/

The Parable of the Good Brummie!

The Good Samaritan

At the recent Social Inclusion Summit there was a clear sense of eagerness, one could almost say enthusiasm, to put the commitments and recommendations of the Green Paper into action, along with a strong mandate from those present to proceed on to the creation of the White Paper and the Action Plan.

However, despite the enthusiasm there was also at times a frisson of uncertainty, and an underlying sense of bewilderment as to how we could make the recommendations a reality.

There is no doubt that it is a challenge, a real challenge. The task from now on is to come up with solutions to the problems that have been so clearly articulated.

Now, one response to this could be to become despondent and overawed by

One approach to the challenge

the clear enormity of the task, and ostrich-like bury one’s head in the sand.

Another would be to try and run head-long at it and, like some super-hero, set out to save the world.

Another is to keep working hard to find solutions, setting up the conditions to bring about the necessary change, and working through each obstacle as it arises.

It is this last method that seems most likely to succeed and I have a quiet confidence that the people of Birmingham can bring this about.

Let me tell you a story…

Amid the storms that lashed the country on Thursday night (22.11.12), leaning at a very steep angle to the universe, I made my way to my bus-stop against a fierce, relentless wind. Rain was bouncing of my clothing and the cold was lacerating my face as if I was being flayed by a razor-sharp icicle.

I could see the bus I was after in the distance but, as I drew closer, it uped its platform and drove off. I was now first in the queue; soaked, cold and miserable. Time passed. Eventually a bus from a rival company arrived. Sadly, my pass was not valid and I was reluctant to pay the top up fee which would enable me to use this service.

Suddenly an inspector approached informing the now swelling crowd that the bus was now loading further down the stop. I informed him that I could not travel on that bus as my pass was not valid. He said, “Come on. It’s cold and wet. Just get on. I’ll sort it.”  Flustered, I repeated my rather limp excuse about the wrong pass but he was insistent. “It’s freezing cold, just get on the bus and go.”

He escorted me down to the waiting bus, where three or four other passengers with the wrong passes were hanging around. Extending his beneficence he ushered all of us onto the bus, repeating his desire to get us out of the cold.

He then spoke to the driver and using some discretionary fund he had access to, waived the additional fees. We climbed on board and a few moments later, sitting in the warm, soothing comfort of the dry bus, we set off.

Here we have a clear example of the Brummie spirit! We know Birmingham is a welcoming city,  and I am sure there are many of you who, like me, have had a strong, vital, direct experience of how caring, compassionate and generous a city it is too.

It is because it is full of people like this bus-inspector, who is willing to use his discretionary power for good, that gives me the confidence to believe that we can make the commitments and recommendations of the Green Paper, and the emerging Action Plan and White Paper, work!

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by johnbbrum on 26th November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Diversity of Place, Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Wellbeing, Young People
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Posted by johnbbrum on 26th November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/the-parable-of-the-good-brummie/

Operation Black Vote – West Midlands Civic Leadership Programme

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by johnbbrum on 23rd November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Diversity of People, Fair Brum, Wellbeing
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Posted by johnbbrum on 23rd November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/23/operation-black-vote-west-midlands-civic-leadership-programme-2/

Typewriters, computers, innovation and change!

Typewriters

Watching the BBC TV news on Tuesday  (20th November 2012) I was struck by several items. The first, at around 6.15 am, was a short ‘magazine’ piece on the end of the typewriter, which showed the very last Brother typewriter being produced at Brothers’ factory in Wrexham.

What a remarkable device the typewriter turned out to be from the very first successful commercial model produced by Remington way back in 1870 to the last one produced on Tuesday. (Not many products can boast of a 142 year life cycle or produce such an amazing production curve.)

In our attempt to increase the level of Economic Inclusion the Green Paper made the following recommendation:-

1.5 Foster and develop the entrepreneurial spirit of our young people and our migrant communities

In promoting this we are also promoting the need for innovation that lies behind it.

Sometimes It’s Hard To Think Outside The Box

Would it not be truly wonderful if, as a result of the Green Paper initiative (soon to be White Paper), someone from Birmingham went on to invent and develop the next device which will revolutionise our world in the way the typewriter did (and to some extent continues to do)?

A second news item, later in the day (about 6 pm) was the announcement by Hewlett  Packard (HP) the American computer and printer giant, that it was reporting a $6.85bn net loss.

Here we see the speed of change our world is subject to. On the same day that the typewriter becomes obsolete, we also begin to see the dark clouds of  obsolescence  hovering around the laptop and the computer, as smart phones and tablets begin to ‘elbow’ them out.

Strangely enough yesterday morning (21st Nov) we learn that plastic electronics, also known as organic and printable electronics, is an emerging field, which some experts say will revolutionise the electronics industry. (As one printer dies an new one is being born!)

It is in this new, rapidly changing world, that our young entrepreneurs and innovators will have to live and breathe. So we need to consider not only what kind of skills an individual requires to be able to operate in this way, but also what kind of ‘person’ they need to be, to be flexible and adaptable enough to cope with such speed of change.

Innovative organisations and market leaders like Google and Facebook have introduced radically new work environments and management methods to foster the creativity they need to help drive their business.

[Check out the Google office at CA  with its gym, idiosyncratic work spaces, amazing restaurants etc.]

Is this the model our schools and colleges should be looking at to help foster the level of confidence, creativity, and courage required to deal with the rapid speed of change in the modern business world?

At the end of the recent Social Inclusion Summit the Bishop urged us to

let the radical change begin!

Are we ready to be this radical?

Let us know!

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by johnbbrum on 22nd November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Fair Brum, Inclusive Growth, Young People
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Posted by johnbbrum on 22nd November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/typewriters-computers-innovation-and-change/

Interview with the Bishop about Social Inclusion Process

Following on from yesterday’s successful Social Inclusion Process Summit on the Green Paper the Birmingham Post conducted an interview with the Bishop.

Bishop of Birmingham – (photo from the Birmingham Post)

This helpful and informative interview recaps many of the key points that the Bishop made and picks up on his view that businesses need to engage more fully in the process.

Worth a read!

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by johnbbrum on 15th November 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by johnbbrum on 15th November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/interview-with-the-bishop-about-social-inclusion-process/

Next Steps

Thanking Cllr Cotton for his response the Bishop then asked Jackie Mould to outline the next steps in the process.

Jackie reflected that the main work now was how to turn all the ideas that had emerged both from the Green Paper and the discussions today into action. Many many people have been involved and she echoed the Bishops call to keep this vital partnership of collaboration alive.

The next step is to turn the Green Paper into a White Paper and develop from it an Action Plan to enable us to implement its recommendations and take this work forward. After it is produced the Bishop will engage in a formal process with all our Partners to get their sign-up and commitment to engagement with it in order to bring about its recommendations.

Jackie said she was keen to keep this  network going, and we will be contacting you soon to enlist your help, support and ideas on ways to take this further.

We will be holding a further Summit in the new year to feedback where we are and get more input from you.

As Cllr Cotton mentioned we will be creating a new Challenge unit. If anyone wants to help or support us, with ideas, people, resources, even challenge, please get in touch.

Many of the processes will continue the Blog fairbrum will still be going, as will our presence on twitter. So please remember: your views count! Continue to engage with us on the journey by contributing to the conversation on twitter by using the #fairbrum tag and following us @fairbrum.

Please stick with us and make sure you continue to work with us, as we journey on to make this Social Inclusion Process happen for Birmingham.

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by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Fair Brum
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Posted by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/next-steps/

Responding to the social inclusion challenge

Councillor Cotton said that after every summit he’d been at he always felt very enthusiastic and stimulated. He wanted to express his thanks to Jackie and her team for making it happen.

He then went on to explain that we know the scale and challenge across Birmingham. We know that a third of our children grow up in poverty. The level of deprivation has remained  the same for decades. We never seem to be able to address it adequately and the current public spending cuts are certainly not helping. Up to forty eight percent of the Birmingham City Council current budget is set to go. As the Leader of the Council, Cllr Bore said recently, this is the end of local Government as we know it.

Cllr Cotton then alluded to the leviathan of Welfare reform that is trundling towards us. It will impact most on those who are already deprived. The poor will continue to suffer. The cuts will not just affect services they will also threaten existing social capital too.

However, we should not be overawed by these challenges. We are more than capable of facing up to them. The Green paper shows no shortage of vision and ideas it indicates a real passion for change. We are not going to sit back and do nothing.  The Green Paper is a call to arms for the city.

Through the creation of the Green Paper the Bishop has managed to pull together a coalition for change: composed of businesses, third sector organisations, universities, religious, community and faith groups and individuals. The challenge now is how we keep the partnerships made here, through this endeavor, together? Hope can we can take the change forward under Bishops Leadership?

There are lots of ideas and solutions across city. A new approach to Neighbourhoods is already being rolled out, here we are endeavoring to provide the right area approach with Local services responding to local needs.  The Youth Unemployment Commission is already working on developing a Birmingham Jobs Fund approach. The Welfare Reform action committee is now in place and should be able to help create a shield to protect some of the people at risk. But he did fear that that the shield may well be dented in the effort.

So we can see that several of the proposals in the Green Paper are already beginning to emerge.

The new administration is keen to develop not just a Birmingham City Council strategy to deal with the needs of city but one that includes and embraces all our partners all working together towards a common goal.

To do this they are creating a Social Cohesion Challenge Unit to take this agenda forward. This unit will be able to challenge social cohesion not just across the Council but hopefully across partnerships too. It will champion good practice and build  and sustain strong  partnerships.  The Council needs its partners to work with us, we can’t do it alone.

So, we are beginning to put things in place to enable us to set off on this journey. The Green Paper is our route map. We know the journey will not be easy, but we also know that we have the ability to make Birmingham a better place for every citizen. So lets get on with it!

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by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Fair Brum
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Posted by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/responding-to-the-social-inclusion-challenge/

Action Groups – emerging ideas

The eight groups are proving very industrious, and flip chart paper is filling up with comments and ideas.

This is group 1.1 examining how to help socially excluded families. Discussions around ‘helicopter’ parents took place and the need to provide tailored flexible support for those struggling to cope.

Another comment notes that talent spotting is not always about education and qualifications.

Another group have examined what success looks like and have come up with notions such as people being able to try out different skills and that businesses are able to fill all their vacancies from young people.

But the discussion is not only taking place on flip charts and on paper

others are making using of more modern materials. Tweeting live the comments and suggestions that are being made to a world-wide audience.

Some have found the flip chart board too confining and spilled over on to the floor to capture their inspiration.

 

 

 

Coffee has been drunk, fuelling the synapses again and a further round of ideas has filled the air. Time has been against us yet again and people are being asked to reassemble in the main auditorium ready to feedback their findings in the feedback closing plenary session.

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by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Fair Brum
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Posted by johnbbrum on 14th November 2012

http://fairbrum.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/action-groups-emerging-ideas/

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